PREFACE 



Rapid advances made during the past decade on problems associated 

 with high speed flight have brought into ever sharper focus the need for a 

 comprehensive and competent treatment of the fundamental aspects of 

 the aerodynamic and propulsion problems of high speed flight, together 

 with a survey of those aspects of the underlying basic sciences cognate 

 to such problems. The need for a treatment of this type has been long felt 

 in research institutions, universities, and private industry and its poten- 

 tial reflected importance in the advanced training of nascent aeronautical 

 scientists has also been an important motivation in this undertaking. 



The entire program is the cumulative work of over one hundred 

 scientists and engineers, representing many different branches of engineer- 

 ing and fields of science both in this country and abroad. 



The work consists of twelve volumes treating in sequence elements of 

 the properties of gases, liquids, and solids; combustion processes and 

 chemical kinetics; fundamentals of gas dynamics; viscous phenomena; 

 turbulence; heat transfer; theoretical methods in high speed aerodynam- 

 ics; applications to wings, bodies and complete aircraft; nonsteady 

 aerodynamics; principles of physical measurements; experimental meth- 

 ods in high speed aerodynamics and combustion; aerodynamic problems 

 of turbo machines; the combination of aerodynamic and combustion 

 principles in combustor design; and finally, problems of complete power 

 plants. The intent has been to emphasize the fundamental aspects of jet 

 propulsion and high speed aerodynamics, to develop the theoretical tools 

 for attack on these problems, and to seek to highlight the directions in 

 which research may be potentially most fruitful. 



Preliminary discussions, which ultimately led to the foundation of the 

 present program, were held in 1947 and 1948 and, in large measure, 

 by virtue of the enthusiasm, inspiration, and encouragement of Dr. 

 Theodore von Kdrman and later the invaluable assistance of Dr. Hugh L. 

 Dryden and Dean Hugh Taylor as members of the Editorial Board, these 

 discussions ultimately saw their fruition in the formal establishment of 

 the Aeronautics Publication Program at Princeton University in the fall 

 of 1949. 



The contributing authors and, in particular, the volume editors, have 

 sacrificed generously of their spare time under present-day emergency 

 conditions where continuing demands on their energies have been great. 

 The program is also indebted to the work of Dr. Martin Summerfield who 

 guided the planning work as General Editor from 1949-1952. The coop- 

 eration and assistance of the personnel of Princeton University Press 

 and of the staff of this office has been noteworthy. In particular, Mr. H. S. 



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